Department of Health and Social Care

Antimicrobials: Research

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government whatdiscussions they have had with the government of Japan aboutbilateral collaboration into research into new antimicrobial agents and antimicrobial drugs.

Lord Markham: We are working closely with Japan to promote research into novel antimicrobial products and to address the global market failures in antibiotic research and development. Professor Dame Sally Davies, the United Kingdom Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), visited Japan earlier this year and met with parliamentarians, senior officials and industry leaders to highlight the threat posed by AMR and to share experiences from the world-leading NHS England and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence antimicrobial reimbursement project.Officials at the Department of Health and Social Care and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continue to have bilateral consultations with their Japanese counterparts on national research into new antimicrobial agents and UK Ministers also highlighted the importance of this during G7 Ministerial meetings. Collaboration on AMR also continues between UK Research and Innovation and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development under the Memorandum of Cooperation.

Long Covid

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of (1) adults, and (2) children, who have contracted Long Covid.

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask His Majesty's Government when they recognised Long Covid as a valid medical condition; and what (1) physical, and (2) psychological, symptoms comprise its characteristics.

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask His Majesty's Government when they made the decision to set upspecialist Long Covid clinics; how many have been established; and what estimate they have made of the number of (1) adults, and (2) children, who have been treated in that specialist setting.

Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the numberof people with lasting disabilities as a result of contracting either (1) COVID-19, or (2) Long Covid.

Lord Markham: We recognised post COVID-19 syndrome as a valid medical condition in June 2020, when guidelines were issued to the National Health Service on the long-term healthcare needs of COVID-19 patients. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence created a clinical definition for the condition, publishing the ‘COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19’ in December 2020. A copy is attached. Post COVID-19 syndrome is a complex condition, affecting multiple systems within the body. Commonly reported symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive impairment and muscle pain. Further symptoms associated are set out in the guideline attached.The establishment of specialist Post COVID-19 clinics was announced in October 2010. There are currently 101 specialist services for adults and 13 for children and younger people.NHS England publish information on referrals of people aged 16 years old and older to post COVID-19 services in England. In the period 5 July 2021 to 7 May 2023, there have been 96,898 accepted referrals, 87,663 initial assessments and 263,166 follow up appointments.No recent estimate has been made of the number of people who have contracted or have lasting disabilities as a result of contracting Post COVID-19 syndrome.The latest estimate from the Office of National Statistics is that for the four week period ending 5 March 2023 1.9 million people, 2.9% of the population, in private households in the United Kingdom reported experiencing post COVID-19 symptoms.COVID-19 Rapid Guideline (pdf, 1586.0KB)

Infectious Diseases: Health Services

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to implement the recommendations contained in the Infection Management Coalition White Paper, published in February 2022, which recommends action to (1) address infection prevention, (2) provide rapid treatment of sepsis, (3) address antimicrobial stewardship, and (4) pandemic preparedness, with a single-policy approach.

Lord Markham: Several of the recommendations in the Infection Management Coalition’s White Paper are being addressed under the Government’s ‘UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2019 to 2024’, including infection prevention, improving antimicrobial stewardship, and treatment of infections, including sepsis. This wide-ranging programme of work covers activity relating to tackling antimicrobial resistance and addressing infections generally, including sepsis. A copy of the action plan is attached.The Department continually assesses preparedness plans for infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics to ensure that they remain as robust as possible. This assessment includes, as appropriate, incorporating lessons learnt from exercises that test the readiness of our plans, and from our experience in responding to pandemics, disease outbreaks, and other types of incidents in the United Kingdom.5-year AMR action plan (pdf, 4610.4KB)

Eating Disorders: Health Services

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe effectiveness of specialist day care provision and home-based treatment for eating disorders, as compared to inpatient treatment for (1) children and young people, and (2) adults.

Lord Markham: NHS England is refreshing guidance on children and young people's eating disorders, with an increased focus on early identification and intervention. Updated guidance will highlight the importance of improved integration between community eating disorder services, wider children and young people's mental health services, schools, colleges and primary care. This will improve awareness, provide expert advice and improve support for children and young people presenting with problems with eating.In 2019, NHS England published an addendum to the national Children and Young People’s Eating Disorder Guidance to include guidance on integration between community eating disorder services and inpatient and day care services, noting that “children and young people should be treated as close to home as possible, at the earliest opportunity, to substantially reduce the need for admission and length of stay”.In 2022/23, 47% more children and young people have started National Institute for Health and Care Excellence concordant evidence-based treatment in the community, compared to 2019/20.For adults, National Health Service guidance on intensive day patient treatment and home-based treatment outlines that intensive day patient treatment provides step-down care from inpatient treatment or an alternative to admission.It may be provided by either an inpatient unit or a community eating disorder (CED) service, at least four to five times a week, and should include support around main meals as well as encouraging people to learn skills and engage in activities that contribute towards their recovery. Integrated working across day patient and CED services can help support people to live in the community and prevent relapse or readmission.

Transplant Surgery: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government from which countries people have returned to the UK after having illegally paid for transplants abroad.

Lord Markham: The Government does not hold information on which countries people have returned to the United Kingdom from after having illegally paid for transplants abroad.

Coronavirus: Hospitals

Lord Clark of Windermere: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the value of equipment procured for NHS Nightingale Hospitals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which has now been transferred to other NHS facilities.

Lord Markham: The information requested is not held centrally by the department. NHS England advises that each host trust is responsible for managing a list of assets and equipment including beds and medical equipment from the Nightingale hospitals, some of which will have been absorbed by host trusts. The remaining surplus stock has been collected and made available for national redistribution under the existing warehousing, asset tracking and logistics contracts.

Gender Dysphoria: Young People

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Cass Review’s interim report on gender identity services for children and young people,published in February 2022, what plans they have, if any, to require the Gender Identity Development Service, under the auspices of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, to cease operations immediately.

Lord Markham: There are no plans to cease operations immediately. We have been clear that the GIDS clinic at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust will come to a managed closed by March 2024. This is to manage the complexity of the change whilst ensuring continuity of care for those patients already being seen at the clinic. Since April, the clinic has stopped offering new first appointments to patients on the waiting list. Any patients not discharged by March 2024 will be transferred to new services.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Vaccination

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken toensure that sufficient (1) funding, and (2) staff resources, are put in place to ensure the implementation of a universal programme for Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccinations for infants and older adults.

Lord Markham: Policy options based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice on a potentially expanded respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme are being developed. This includes engaging with HM Treasury to seek budgetary support for a potential programme, and with NHS England and UK Health Security Agency regarding the required resources and capacity to deliver a potential programme.

Gender Dysphoria: Children

Lord Warner: To ask His Majesty's Government what regulatory arrangements are in place to ensure the safety of children and teenagers in respect of any private organisation providing puberty blocking hormonal treatment or gender surgery.

Lord Markham: All healthcare providers carrying out regulated activity should follow clinical best practice and must be registered with their professional body and any other regulators, as appropriate, for that service. If a private organisation fails to meet the standards expected of it, then regulators including the Care Quality Commission have powers to inspect these services to determine whether patient safety is at risk or if best practice is not being followed.

Eating Disorders: Health Services

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they havemade of the commissioning of integrated services for eating disorders for (1) children and young people, and (2) adults.

Lord Markham: NHS England is refreshing guidance on children and young people's eating disorders, including to increase the focus on early identification and intervention. Updated guidance will highlight the importance of improved integration between dedicated community eating disorder services, wider children and young people's mental health services, schools, colleges and primary care to improve awareness, provide expert advice and improve support for children and young people presenting with problems with eating, whilst ensuring swift access to specialist support as soon as an eating disorder is suspected.Improving adult eating disorder (AED) services is a key priority for NHS England and a fundamental part of our LTP commitment to expand and improve mental health services.The NHS Long Term Plan sets out an ambition to give 370,000 adults and older adults with severe mental illness, including eating disorders, greater choice and control over their care and support them to live well in their communities by 2023/24. This includes creating integrated pathways of care across primary care, mental health services, VCS organisations, and social care, for people with severe mental illness. This programme will deliver just under £1 billion of additional funding per year for transforming community mental health by 2023/24.Since April 2021 all integrated care systems (ICSs) have received fair-share funding to transform their community mental health services, including eating disorders, with the expectation that all ICS will have transformed AED services in place by 2023/24.

Viral Diseases: Disease Control

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of by the scientific accuracy of the Health and Safety Executive's guidance on blood borne virus transmission.

Lord Markham: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It prevents work-related death, injury and ill health. No assessment has been made, however the HSE guidance on bloodborne virus transmission references current UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) scientific evidence on risk of transmission of blood-borne viruses.UKHSA provides advice on management of exposure to blood-borne viruses in occupational settings through its local, regional and national health protection function and through specialist advice from its national team. UKHSA also hosts the UK Advisory Panel for Healthcare Workers living with Bloodborne Viruses which provides advice about the transmission and management of bloodborne viruses among healthcare workers

NHS: Drugs

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government which minister is in charge of the prescription, supply and distribution of medicines supplied and delivered by homecare medicines services.

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government how manymedical staff, including nurses, doctors, physios and pharmacists, spend part of their week resolving problems or delays with homecare medicines services.

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government whether theywill publish the standard terms and conditions of homecare medicines service contracts, including the sanctions available for a failure to perform to the contract terms.

Lord Markham: The Minister of State for Health and Secondary Care (Will Quince MP) has ministerial responsibility for the Homecare Medicine Delivery Service.The National Homecare Medicines Committee (NHMC) regional lead members and NHS England’s Commercial Medicines Unit use and reference the Royal Pharmaceutical Society standards for homecare medicines service which are embedded into all framework agreement service specifications for the providers of this service.In 2014 the Royal Pharmaceutical Society published the Handbook for Homecare Services in England to aid implementation of these standards. This identified examples of good practice and included Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for standards contained in Appendix 10 of the Handbook. A copy of the Handbook and Appendix 10 is attached.The NHMC holds regular meetings with all homecare providers focused on KPIs. When the KPIs from individual contracts or reports from National Health Service hospitals indicate that service levels are not to the high standard expected, the NHMC can enact an Escalation Process under which the affected provider must engage with each NHS organisation and provide a summary of the issues, mitigations and expected timescales for recovery.Information is not held by the Department or NHS England on the time taken by medical staff on resolving problems or delays concerning home care medicines services.  Handbook excel (xlsx, 345.8KB)Handbook pdf (pdf, 576.4KB)

Home Office

Offenders: Deportation

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to response to the report of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration ‘An inspection of the Home Office’s operations to effect the removal of Foreign National Offenders’, published on 29 June, which described the Home Office’s data management system for criminal casework as “unacceptable”; what action they are taking to create an overarching strategy within the Home Office for the management of its casework system; and how they are working to build public trust in their overall management of illegal immigration into the UK in the light of the problems identified in the report.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The report acknowledges that many of the issues raised at the time of the inspection were already being addressed by the Home Office. Work has already commenced to address concerns raised in the report. Since January 2023, casework resource has increased, with a dedicated Custodial Decision Team established to focus on ensuring decisions are made early in the process to drive up removals directly from prison. Ringfenced resource has been put in place to improve collaboration with Asylum and with the Immigration Enforcement Competent Authority, who consider Modern Slavery claims. There is a wider strategy for improvement in Management Information being delivered as part of the transition to a new immigration caseworking system, including new workflow tools and modern data analysis capabilities. Last year, under the Nationality and Borders Act (NABA) 2022, we expanded the early removal scheme for FNOs to allow them to be removed directly from prison from a maximum of 9 months to 12 months before the end of their custodial sentence. The Act also allows any FNO who receives a custodial sentence of 12 months or more to be disqualified from the recovery and reflection period available to victims of modern slavery.We are going further to ensure that FNOs cannot frustrate their removal process. Our Illegal Migration Bill, which is currently passing through the House of Lords, proposes that the disqualification from protection for modern slavery victims applies to all FNOs who receive a custodial sentence of any length.

Arrest Warrants: Hong Kong

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the issuing of arrest warrants and the offer of HK$1 million reward for the arrest of former lawmakers Ted Hui, Dennis Kwok and Nathan Law by Hong Kong police, what assessment they have made of the protection provided to former exiled Hong Kong lawmakers given sanctuary in the UK.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government continually assesses potential threats in the UK, and takes protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. We will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas. The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted. Where we identify individuals who may be at heightened risk, we are front footed in deploying protective security guidance and other measures as appropriate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security and intelligence matters, including the security arrangements for protected individuals. To do so could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and affect the security of the individuals concerned.We strongly object to the National Security Law that China has imposed on Hong Kong, including its extraterritorial reach, in breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration. We call on Beijing to remove the National Security Law and for the Hong Kong authorities to end their targeting of those who stand up for freedom and democracy.

Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to protect UK-based human rights advocates following reports of Chinese Communist Party ‘persuade to return’ operations carried out within the UK.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated. While it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security and intelligence matters, where we identify individuals at heightened risk, we are front footed in deploying protective security guidance and other measures as appropriate. The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK’s approach to transnational repression to ensure we have a robust and joined up response across government and law enforcement.

Passports: Children

Lord Taylor of Goss Moor: To ask His Majesty's Government how many times in each of the last five years the Passport Office has asked (1) male, and (2) female, single parents renewing their child’s passport to provide documentation in the form of birth certificates, court papers proving custody, or a written letter of authorisation from the other parent before issuing the passport.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Fire and Rescue Services: Reform

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to bring forward the recommendations ofReforming the Fire and Rescue Service, published on 18 May 2022, to give the Chief Fire Officers the same standing in law as Chief Constables.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The government is committed to giving chief fire officers operational independence as laid out in the white paper and recommended by the independent fire inspectorate.

Department for Education

Universities: China

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of thefunding being received by British universities from Chinese companies, including Huawei.

Baroness Barran: The government is committed to supporting academia to engage with international partners in a way that reflects the UK’s values and takes account of national security concerns and wider risks.We have strengthened sector support considerably in recent years, launching the National Protective Security Authority’s ‘Trusted Research’ campaign, and supporting Universities UK to develop guidelines on tackling security risks. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology also provides the Research Collaboration Advice Team, which gives tailored advice to research institutions to help them manage the risks in international collaboration.The Department continues to talk to universities to ensure advice and measures on tackling security risks when engaging internationally remain relevant and proportionate. This helps to promote safe, sustainable, and legally compliant international collaboration.The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 will give the Office for Students powers to monitor the overseas funding of registered higher education (HE) providers in England, their constituent institutions, members, and staff in order to assess the extent to which such funding arrangements present a risk to freedom of speech and academic freedom in HE.

Teachers: Bureaucracy

Lord Hampton: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the burden on school staff caused by subject access requests.

Baroness Barran: In February 2023, the department updated the Data Protection in Schools guidance, which provides advice covering Subject Access Requests (SARs). The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/data-protection-in-schools.The department is developing the Education Privacy Assurance Scheme, which will provide targeted training, guidance, and templates on a range of data protection subjects. The department is prioritising responding to SARs as the first release in the next 12 months. This will help provide a consistent approach that is adopted by schools across the sector.

Universities: China

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of therisk of the withdrawal of Chinese money from universities in England and the impact it would have on academia.

Lord Leong: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Chinese funding to universities in England and its implications for academic freedoms.

Baroness Barran: We are recognised across the world for the quality and openness of our higher education (HE) system, and we encourage the sector to collaborate with international partners. To be open, we must also be secure. Universities must be security-minded in their approach and safeguard our values.The government’s International Education Strategy and its recent update make clear that the internationalisation of the HE sector cannot come at any cost. Universities must ensure they have appropriate processes in place to manage risks associated with dependence on a single source of funding, whether that is from a single organisation, or a single nation.That is why the department has introduced measures like the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which will address concerns about the possible influence of overseas funding in England, to monitor the overseas funding of registered HE providers and their constituent institutions. This is in order to assess the extent to which such funding arrangements present a risk to freedom of speech and academic freedom in HE.The Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator, monitors the risk of over-reliance on overseas income at a sector level. The role of the OfS is not to direct how HE providers manage themselves or to limit their recruitment from a particular country of origin, but to ensure they understand where there is greater reliance and how any risks are being managed, and to take action to protect students from the consequences of unmanaged financial risk, if necessary.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK welcomes the establishment of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) as a positive step towards accountability. We look forward to reviewing the results of an ICPA needs analysis which will help the international community to understand any support required. We will consider UK involvement when this has issued.

Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the publication of the document ‘The Windsor Framework: The Green Lane’ on 9 June, whether the date at which traders experience a benefit from the green lane in terms of simplified customs, and sanitary or phytosanitary forms, is being put back by 12 months to 1 October 2024.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Windsor Framework is the best deal for Northern Ireland, restoring the smooth flow of goods, protecting Northern Ireland's place in the Union and delivering a robust framework for solving future issues.The implementation of the Framework is proceeding to the timeline set out when the agreement was announced.Some arrangements are already in force, including the Duty Reimbursement Scheme for EU duty paid on "at risk" goods which have been sold or used outside of the EU.From 30 September 2023, a new UK Internal Market Scheme will expand the range of businesses able to benefit from the new arrangements provided to protect internal UK movements, including the removal of EU tariffs. In tandem, from October the new sanitary and phytosanitary "green lane" arrangements will take effect: including a new Retail Movement Scheme for agrifood retail products; new rules to allow plants to move smoothly in to Northern Ireland; and new arrangements to enable seed potatoes to move once again from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.From September 2024, the full "green lane" will take effect for the movement of all goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, expanding the benefits of the UK Internal Market Scheme to end unnecessary bureaucracy. This will ensure that goods will no longer move on the basis of international customs requirements, with a new system based on commercial information.

Hong Kong: Arrest Warrants

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the issuing of arrest warrants and the offer of HK$1 million reward for the arrest of former lawmakers Ted Hui, Dennis Kwok and Nathan Law by Hong Kong police.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As the Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement on 3 July, we will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals. The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted.We have made clear our strong objection to the National Security Law on many occasions, including its exterritorial reach. We consider it a breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration.We call on Beijing to remove the National Security Law and for the Hong Kong authorities to stop targeting those who stand up for freedom and democracy. We will continue to use our channels with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to raise our objections to the National Security Law and the ongoing erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Human Rights

Baroness Helic: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of Magnitsky-style sanctions arising from the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020 against individuals based in Bosnia-Herzegovina who are deemed to have been involved in an activity which, if carried out by or on behalf of an entity within the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina, would amount to a serious violation of human rights.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We fully support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We will continue to take measures against those who threaten that. It is not appropriate to speculate on future designations, as to do so could reduce their impact. We designated two individuals under our Bosnia and Herzegovina autonomous sanctions regime last year.

Russia: Wagner Group

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the attempted actions of the private security company, the Wagner Group on 24 June, has had on UK relations with Russia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As the Integrated Review Refresh sets out, the UK considers the Russian State to pose an acute threat to our national security and that of our allies. The rebellion by the Wagner Group in June was an internal Russian matter; the leadership of Russia is a matter exclusively for the Russian people. We continue to follow the situation carefully, taking particular account of implications for the safety of British nationals in Russia. The Foreign Secretary chaired a COBR meeting in response to developments of 24 June, and he and the Prime Minister remained in close contact with our international partners throughout the day.

Israel: Palestinians

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have discussed with the EU a policy to co-operate with the government of China to seek an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, following reported remarks by the EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, Sven Koopmans, that China has a “growing role in the Middle East and they have contributions to make on the day of Israeli-Palestinian peace”; and whether ministers have held any discussions with their Chinese counterparts about working together on a Middle East peace process.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We closely monitor the security situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) and are aware of the strategic partnership signed between China and the Palestinian Authority (PA). The UK continues to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to engage in meaningful dialogue to further the cause of peace at every opportunity. I [ Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon], as Minister for the Middle East, met the EU special representative for the Middle East peace process on 10 May to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the conflict.

Syria: Missing People

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what additional assistance they intend to give to facilitate the setting up the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria, following the adoption on 29 June of the UN General Assembly draft resolution ‘Integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields’ (document A/77/L.79).

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Owing to the Syrian conflict, at least 100,000 persons are missing; most at the hands of the Syrian regime. The UK is a member of the core group of UN Member States which advanced the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly. We continue to encourage all States to co-operate with the new Institution to maximise its effectiveness.We are engaging the UN as they bring forward more details on the establishment of the Institution. Based on this, we will consider what additional assistance we can provide. The UK will contribute to the financial budget via our standing UN contributions.

Windsor Framework

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the remits of each of the five sub-groups established under the Joint Consultative Working Group of the Windsor Framework.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings have already taken place ofeach of the five sub-groups established under the Joint Consultative Working Group of the Windsor Framework; and whether any decisions or actions have been taken as a result of such meetings.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Five new structured sub-groups have been established under the Joint Consultative Working Group (JCWG) to cover goods regulation, the Single Electricity Market, customs, agrifood and subsidy control. As is set out in the JCWG's Rules of Procedure, which are available online, meetings of the JCWG and its structured sub-groups are confidential.

Special Body on Goods

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government when the first meeting of theSpecial Body on Goods will take place.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what will be on the agenda for thefirst meeting of the Special Body on Goods.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As set out in the Joint Declaration by the UK and EU in the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee on dialogue and goods, the Special Body on Goods is a specific composition of the Specialised Committee on the Implementation of the Windsor Framework, and is therefore subject to the Rules of Procedure set out in Annex VIII of the Withdrawal Agreement. In line with Rule 10, meetings of the Special Body on Goods are confidential. As agreed with the European Scrutiny Committee in the House of Commons and the European Affairs Committee in the House of Lords, the Government will share provisional agendas of the Special Body on Goods in advance with those Committees.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release: Police National Computer

Lord Lucas: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the licence conditions of prisoners who have been released on licence are always held on the Police National Computer; and, if not, why not.

Lord Bellamy: Prisons are required to share licences with the Police National Computer Bureau at the point a prisoner is released. Police officers are alerted by the licence flag on the PNC to request the specific details of conditions from the Probation Service in individual cases. In 2022, a new digital platform to manage licences was rolled out across Prisons and Probation called Create and Vary a Licence (CVL). This includes additional prompts to remind prison staff to share licence information with the PNC Bureau.

Prisoners: Children

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government, following theintroduction of the Basic Custody Screening Tool, how many (1) men, and (2) women, currently in custody have been assessed as having primary caring responsibilities; and how many children are affected by their imprisonment.

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany women in prison have been identified as having previously been in local authority care in each of the last five years.

Lord Bellamy: The data regarding the number of prisoners with primary caring responsibilities is not currently available. It is not possible to obtain the requested information without incurring disproportionate cost. The Basic Custody Screening (BCS) tool only captures the prisoner(s) self-declaration to questions asked by prison staff. There is currently no definitive way to cross check or validate the prisoners claim as to whether they do or do not have children, or the specific number of children.The Government is seeking to improve our data and evidence in this area through the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) Programme. BOLD is a cross-government Shared Outcomes Fund project which will link data to enable better evidenced and more joined up cross government services. Through BOLD, we will explore data sharing to improve our understanding of the number of parents in prison and the number of children impacted by parental imprisonment. BOLD’s findings will include breakdowns by gender and sentence length, enabling us to identify how many female prisoners serving a sentence of 12 months or more have children. Findings will be published when the analysis is complete.Changes have also been made to the Basic Custody Screening Tool to enable us to improve the quality of data on entry to prison about how many primary carers are in custody, how many children under the age of 18 are affected by their imprisonment and the ages of those children. The learning from the data collected will be incorporated into findings from the BOLD programme.Since 2015, as part of the basic custody screening interview, we have recorded the answers of all new prisoners coming into custody as to whether they have been in the care of local authority children’s services at any time. The information is purely self-declared. The number of women in prison who have been identified as having previously been in local authority care at any time who entered custody in each of the last five years is provided in the table below.YearNumber of Records2018-1913672019-2012632020-217702021-228782022-23998

Counter-terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021: Lie Detectors

Lord Evans of Weardale: To ask His Majesty's Government how manytimes a polygraph test has been administered under the provisions in the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021.

Lord Evans of Weardale: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the effectiveness of polygraph tests, as administered under the provisions in the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021.

Lord Bellamy: Prior to mandatory polygraph testing of high-risk sexual offenders on licence being rolled out across the Probation Service in 2014, an evaluation of its effectiveness with such sex offenders was published in 2012. The report is publicly available here: The evaluation of the mandatory polygraph pilot (publishing.service.gov.uk).The Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 introduced polygraph testing for terrorist offenders and came into force in June 2021. As of 12 July 2023, 92 polygraph tests have been administered by polygraph examiners working within the Probation Service National Security Division.The Government committed to undertake a review of its use with terrorist offenders after a two-year period and report on its findings. The report will be a process evaluation focusing on specific points raised in the House of Lords including the numbers of terrorist offenders subject to testing, how results of polygraph testing have been used, the effect of testing on monitoring of licence conditions, and how frequently terrorist offenders are recalled to prison on the basis of polygraph test results. An impact evaluation is not feasible due to the low volume of eligible cases within this timeframe. The report is scheduled to be laid before Parliament in Autumn 2023.

Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients: Women

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany women in prison were transferred to a secure hospital under provisions in the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last five years.

Lord Bellamy: Please see below table showing the number of female prisoners who were transferred to a mental health hospital under Part 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983 1 in each of the last five years. This is in the context of a female prison population which stood at 3,253 as of June 2022:20181112019125202010320211022022139 1) Includes remand and sentenced prisoners.

Coroners

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government how many reports to prevent other deaths were issued by coroners in England and Wales in each of the five most recent years for which figures are available.

Lord Bellamy: Since 2022, the annual number of Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) reports issued by coroners in England and Wales has been collated in the Annual Coroner Statistics which are published each May and cover the preceding calendar year. 440 reports were issued in 2021, and 403 were issued in 2022.The number of PFD reports issued in each year prior to 2021 is not held centrally. However, coroners have a statutory duty to copy all PFD reports to the Chief Coroner, who publishes them on the Judiciary website unless, exceptionally, he decides not to do so in order to protect an individual’s privacy and/or to protect the public from harm. The number of PFD reports published by the Chief Coroner was 384 in 2018; 595 in 2019; and 301 in 2020.

Divorce

Lord Farmer: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons for the 22 per cent rise in divorce applications since reforms were introduced in April 2022.

Lord Bellamy: The Government continues to monitor and assess divorce application statistics. In the first year since divorce reforms were introduced in April 2022, 119,000 divorce applications were made through the new process, compared to almost 108,000 applications for the last full year under the previous legislation. This is an increase of 11 per cent. We expected a temporary spike in the volume of applications following implementation of the divorce reforms. This is because people will have waited to apply for a divorce under the new process. However, international evidence shows that long-term divorce rates are not increased by removing ‘fault’ from the divorce process. We expect volumes to return to previous levels once the initial peak has occurred.

Cabinet Office

Hikvision: CCTV

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whether Hikvision cameras in the UK contain any software to track ethnoreligious individuals targeted by the Chinese State.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherHikvision Cameras within the UK contain ‘ethnicity alerts’ algorithms that have been used to (1) target, and (2) detain, Uyghur Muslims in China.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The UK has serious concerns regarding the Chinese State’s use of technologies in ways that violate human rights and harm individuals and societies, including China’s use of high tech surveillance to disproportionately target Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. We are aware of a number of Chinese technology companies reportedly linked to violations taking place in Xinjiang, and are monitoring the situation closely. However, we are unable to comment on specific security arrangements or procedures. We will always put national security first, and we have a range of measures in place to scrutinise the integrity of our arrangements. On 24 November 2022, the Government announced that Departments should cease deployment of visual surveillance systems produced by companies subject to China’s National Intelligence Law onto sensitive sites. In June 2023, we committed to publishing a timeline for the removal of this equipment.

Hikvision: CCTV

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whether allHikvision camera-operated government departments have been updated to fix a known ‘backdoor’ hacking vulnerability identified by BBC Panorama, published on 26 June.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The government keeps the risk associated with technologies such as visual surveillance equipment under close review. The installation of firmware updates to address known vulnerabilities forms part of routine departmental security procedures. In December 2022, the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster laid a Written Statement before Parliament which instructed government departments to cease deployment of such equipment onto sensitive sites, where it is produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China. The WMS advised that no such equipment should be connected to departmental core networks and that they should consider whether they should remove and replace such equipment where it is deployed on sensitive sites rather than awaiting any scheduled upgrades.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Telecommunications: Costs

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with Ofcom about how the telecoms industry could ease financial pressure on consumers, given the increased cost of living; and what was the outcome of those discussions.

Viscount Camrose: Ofcom has a statutory duty to monitor ongoing household affordability in the sector and my Department meets regularly with them to discuss a range of issues relating to consumer protections.The Government has worked closely with Ofcom and providers to ensure social tariffs are available for those on Universal Credit and other means-tested benefits. These low-cost broadband and mobile offers are available across 99% of the UK from 23 providers (including BT, Sky, Virgin Media, and Vodafone) from as low as £10 per month.On 28 June, As part of the Government’s plan to half inflation this year, the Chancellor chaired a roundtable with sector regulators which included Ofcom. At that meeting Ofcom agreed to:Take action to push suppliers who have yet to introduce social tariffs (discount deals for vulnerable customers) to offer them in the broadband and mobile markets, as well as waive fees for any customers who want to switch providers to access a social tariff.Push suppliers to take immediate steps to raise awareness of existing social tariffs and drive consumer take-up. Ofcom will work with government and other relevant bodies to support industry efforts.Publish a report on its current review of in-contract prices to ensure consumers are sufficiently aware of what they are signing up to by the end of the year. This will consider whether Ofcom’s rules need to be strengthened. Ofcom will also publish an update on its full range of work to support consumers in July.In June 2022, leaders of the UK’s largest mobile and broadband companies agreed a set of public commitments to support their customers through the cost of living including allowing those struggling with their bills to enter into payment plans or switch to cheaper deals without penalty.

Business: Cybersecurity

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help businesses improve their cybersecurity.

Viscount Camrose: The Government's £2.6 billion National Cyber Strategy sets out how we are building a prosperous and resilient digital UK and fuelling growth in the UK economy. This includes strengthening resilience at a national and organisational level to prepare for, respond to and recover from cyber attacks.This Government is committed to improving the cyber resilience of businesses through tailored support, guidance and regulatory frameworks, underpinned by upstream interventions to remove risk at scale. This includes promoting the take-up of accreditations and standards such as the Cyber Essentials certification scheme, with 132,094 certificates awarded to date. We have strengthened existing guidance for business, working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre. We have also consulted recently on measures to mitigate risks in organisations’ supply chains, such as bringing Managed Service Providers in scope of existing cyber regulations and seeking views on where the Government should intervene to improve the security of software across its development and use.

Treasury

Companies: Profits

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of companies seeking excessive profits from households during the increased cost of living.

Baroness Penn: The Government will continue to monitor the level of corporate profits, and where appropriate, work closely with regulators to ensure consumers are being treated fairly.

Department for Work and Pensions

Workplace Pensions

Baroness Hayman: To ask His Majesty's Government under what statutory provisionsthey havepowers to legislate(1) to require occupational pension schemes to report on their impacts on water, circular economy, pollution and biodiversity, and(2) to clarify occupational pension schemes’ fiduciary duties.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government already requires occupational pension schemes over a certain size to report in line with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures recommendations. With regards to fiduciary duties, The Pension Regulator already provides guidance setting out that climate-related risks should be managed alongside other risks that trustees consider as part of their fiduciary duties.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Reservoirs

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps theyare taking to support the construction of new reservoirs in England.

Lord Benyon: Defra recently published its Plan for Water which set out the importance of ensuring a clean and plentiful water supply. The Plan sets out our commitment to a twin track approach to improving water resilience, with action to reduce water company leaks alongside investing in new supply infrastructure including reservoirs. The Government also supports the Agricultural sector with its Water Management Grant, under the Farming Transformation Fund, for the construction of new on-farm reservoirs. We aim to launch a third round of the grant next year in 2024. Regional water resources groups and water companies have consulted on their draft water resources plans. These statutory plans set out how each company will secure water supplies sustainably for at least the next 25 years. The draft water resources management plans contain proposals for multiple new schemes by 2050, including nine new reservoirs, as well as the expansion of some existing reservoirs. Water companies are also using the £469 million made available by Ofwat in the period 2020-2025, to develop strategic water resources options required to improve the resilience water supplies. In April 2023, Ofwat announced that water companies are bringing forward £2.2bn for new water infrastructure, starting in the next two years, with £350 million worth of investment in water resilience schemes.

UK Internal Trade: Labelling

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with supermarkets regarding the labelling of goods following the Windsor Framework.

Lord Benyon: Defra has been engaging intensively with key industries since the announcement of the Windsor Framework, including supermarkets. There have been weekly calls specifically with retailers since the Windsor Framework was agreed. These have been further supported by individual engagements with retailers and manufacturers over the recent weeks. I also spoke to food retailers on 13 July as part of this engagement.

UK Internal Trade: Labelling

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made as to whethersupermarkets will seek to transport goods to Northern Ireland using labelling or through the Red Lane without the requirement of labelling.

Lord Benyon: Based on our engagement with industry, including supermarkets, Defra expects substantial use of the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme, which includes labelling requirements. Some businesses, especially those with a presence in the Republic of Ireland, may choose to use the Red Lane for certain goods, as now.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Windsor Framework which stipulates that food products moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will operate in the same way as food products from Scotland to England, what arrangements they have in place for a load moving to a regional distribution centre rather than directly to the point of sale.

Lord Benyon: The Windsor Framework establishes a new way to move prepacked retail goods from Great Britain into Northern Ireland with the ‘Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme going live on 1 October 2023. Goods will move under a single General Certificate for eligible consignments, supported by a packing list. All businesses responsible for selling or facilitating the movement of food for final consumption in Northern Ireland are eligible to benefit from these simplified arrangements. This includes retailers selling finished goods to end consumers, hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants, those providing food to the public sector – for example schools, hospitals and prisons, wholesalers supplying smaller retail outlets, businesses operating factory canteens. These arrangements will therefore apply to goods moving to regional distribution centres, as long as the final destination of the good is in Northern Ireland. Guidance is available on gov.uk regarding the Scheme, with further guidance being published shortly.

Department for Business and Trade

Business: Billing

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address late payments made by large businesses to their smaller suppliers.

The Earl of Minto: Government is tackling the culture of late payments with measures including Payment Practices Reporting, the Small Business Commissioner and Prompt Payment Code.We are currently undertaking a Payment and Cash Flow review which is examining how Government and others can continue to improve payment culture in the UK and ensure we are supporting small businesses effectively on late payments.

Small Businesses: Digital Technology

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to equip small and medium-sized enterprises with digital skills to help facilitate their growth.

The Earl of Minto: The Government is ensuring that SMEs are equipped with digital skills in various ways.We have launched eight Local Digital Skills Partnerships across England to tackle digital skills gaps including for small businesses and set up a Digital Skills Council which is focused on increasing industry uptake of digital apprenticeships, particularly for SMEs.The Help to Grow: Management scheme is helping SMEs improve their leadership and management capability including their ability to adopt digital technology, and the Made Smarter programme supports digital transformation, including digital leadership skills, for SME manufacturers.

Conditions of Employment: Prosecutions

Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to Good work: the Taylor review of modern working practices, published on 11 July 2017, and the Government response to the Taylor review, published on 7 February 2018, how many employers have been prosecuted for abusing interns’ rights, and how many prosecutions are being prepared.

The Earl of Minto: The existing legislation and enforcement are sufficiently robust to ensure that workers undertaking work experience or internships should get the minimum wage to which they are legally entitled. HMRC have contacted over 3,200 employers advertising unpaid internships to ensure they are compliant with the law. Where HMRC come to the view that the arrangements constitute “work” under National Minimum Wage regulations, they will require the employer to pay any arrears to the worker, in addition to penalties of up to 200% of the arrears.

Business: Inflation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to boost the confidence of UK businesses during the current period of increased inflation.

The Earl of Minto: Government has taken action to support small and medium-sized enterprises by reversing the National Insurance rise, saving small businesses £4,200 on average, as well as raising the Employment Allowance to £5,000.Government also provides extensive support to all types of businesses including through Help to Grow: Management scheme, which helps SMEs across the UK learn new skills, reach more customers and boost profits.Furthermore, businesses can access financial support provided through the British Business Bank. Our network of Growth Hubs across UK provides SMEs access to information and advice alongside our free Business Support Helpline.

Northern Ireland Office

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Costs

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will reimburse the Police Service of Northern Ireland the £6.2 million in additional policing costs incurred as a result of (1) recent visits to Northern Ireland by (a) the President of the United States, and (b) His Majesty King Charles, and (2) theAgreement 25 conference at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Lord Caine: The Northern Ireland Office has received correspondence from the Police Service of Northern Ireland seeking assistance with £6.2 million policing costs for the visit by President Biden and for events linked with the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The Northern Ireland Office is currently in discussions with other Government Departments about this matter. A response will be issued to the Police Service of Northern Ireland once discussions have concluded.